EXCLUSIVE: 45 spy chiefs sacked in massive cleanup of ISO

Director General of the Internal Security Organisation, Col (Rtd) Frank Kaka Bagyenda, has suspended over 45 spy chiefs in a renewal shakeup at the Nakasero based security agency (FILE PHOTO)

KAMPALA – The Internal Security Organisation (ISO) has fired about 45 spy chiefs and reshuffled several others at all border points in what is seen as efforts to curb the increasing threat of terror and rebel activities, PML Daily has learnt.

Highly placed military sources told this website that the spies were moved in mid-October for reportedly not doing their duty of feeding the top army leadership with information on what is perceived as planned security threats occasioned by the arrest of several individuals reportedly planning to destabilise the country.

ISO boss Col Kaka Bagyenda on Wednesday evening confirmed the shakeup but insisted that it was normal transfers.

However, military sources that spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that some spies in border towns were fired while others were moved to internal towns for “failing to detect infiltration of foreign elements engaged in subversive activities”.

Some of those suspended are Mr Charles Oluka, the director of Technical services, Mr Joseph Aliganyira, the director of Political Affairs, and Mr Charles Ndawula, the director of Economic Monitoring at ISO.

Director of political affairs, Lt Col Joseph Aliganyira has been suspended in the new ISO shake-up(FILE PHOTO)

Those suspended by since been replaced by the ISO operatives working in various districts.

We could not immediately establish the subversive activities being talked about. However, over the last month, several individuals have been arrested and questioned over their association with rebel activities. The latest is Mr Yusuf Kawooya, who was captured on video being brutalised by armed security men during his arrest on Colville Street in the city centre last week.

He was quizzed about links to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels and stoning of President Museveni’s vehicle.

On Tuesday, an 18-year-old- boy petitioned the High Court in Kampala seeking for the unconditional release of their father who was allegedly abducted by armed men from his workplace three weeks ago.

Derrick Kibirige is seeking for court orders to direct government to produce his father, Sulaiman Ssenfuka in court without fail.

In the last two years, Uganda on has intensified its crackdown on Rwandans it says are on espionage missions in Uganda. In November last year, Ugandan authorities arrested 45 Rwandans and charged them with terrorism. They were arrested along the Uganda-Tanzania border claiming that they were travelling to Tanzania as evangelists.

Since then, several arrests and deportations have followed, to the chagrin of Kigali.